The Webby for Good, produced in partnership with WP Engine, is a showcase of Webby-honored projects and campaigns that are promoting social good in the world.

Describe your project. What is it, what was the elevator pitch?
Blame is a huge deterrent for rape victims in reporting their assault. The trauma of being raped coupled with the humiliation and guilt that comes with blame perpetuates victims’ silence, allowing rapists to continue committing crimes. This spot aims to illustrate the burden victims of rape carry with them for the rest of their lives, and how when they are blamed for it, it makes their burden even harder to bear.

What key challenges did you face with this project? And how did you overcome them?
Being sensitive and thoughtful in everything we did. It’s easy to get lost in a project when you work on it for a long time, but it was important that we remained sensitive in our presentation and handling of the subject matter. It was important to get our message across while still being respectful to the experience of victims of rape.

What was the most rewarding aspect of working on your project?
The most rewarding part of this project were the reactions from victims, who told us that the spot spoke to them and was true to their experience. Many were prompted to share heartbreaking stories of the blame they received, which reaffirmed to us the importance of this kind of work.

Why this particular cause as the subject of your project/campaign?
Every year to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, YWCA Canada releases a campaign to raise awareness for a specific aspect of either domestic violence or sexual violence against women. This year, they asked us to create a campaign focused on victim blaming of rape victims.

What did you learn from working on this project that you didn't know going into it? Did anything come out of it that surprised you, or that you weren't expecting?
This project made us step back and re-examine our own views on victim blaming. Humans have evolved to find the pattern in every situation – it’s in our nature to try and find the cause for every occurrence. Working on this project made it clear to every person involved that the person at fault for rape is always the one committing it, without question.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer

Terry Drummond

JPTBWA

Chief Creative Officer

Alan Madill

JPTBWA

Chief Creative Officer

Barry Quinn

JPTBWA

Copywriter

Carolyn Crystal

JPTBWA

Art Director

Ariel Gagnon

JPTBWA

Broadcast Producer

Wendi Hamilton

JPTBWA

Broadcast Producer

Anne Marie Martignago

JPTBWA

Managing Director

David Toto

JPTBWA

Account Executive

Lisa Harvey

JPTBWA

Director

Thibaut Diverniex

Revolver

Director of Photography

Vinit Borrison

Revolver

Executive Producer

Luc Frappier

Revolver

Lead Compositor

James Andrews

Wingman

Executive Producer

Sam Simpson

Wingman

Editor

Jackie Roda

Married To Giants

Music Director

Chris Tait

Pirate

Production House

Revolver

Post Production Company

Wingman

Editing/ Post House

Married To Giants

Audio House

Pirate

About the Public Service & Activism category

Original online content documenting public service issues, activism and societal concerns. Individual episodes or entire series may be entered. Public Service & Activism series or channels should be entered in Video Channels & Networks.